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Short Story

The poetry section had a challenge and now it is time to challenge the writers of fiction.

Your challenge, is to write a short story which MUST begin with the line "The door creaked open slowly..."
It can be original or fan fiction with a maximum word count of 1000 words (you are permitted to go over the word count by 10%, so the absolute maximum is 1100 words).

This is NOT a contest and EVERY submission WILL receive 5000Gil. You may submit more than one story for more Gil.

When submitting, post the first paragraph and the rest under spoiler tags.

Re: Short Story

Now this seems fun! I've been wanting to write something lately. I'm in ^^

When is the deadline? Also, do we make a post with it here? Or make a new thread and specify it's for this contest? o.o

There is no deadline, this thread will be left open for a while so people can take their time to think, plan, write and re-write without a whole lot of pressure. You should submit entries in this thread. Don't forget the spoiler tags!

Re: Short Story

Quiet Night? Yeah Right

The door creaked open slowly...as a loud step forced itself into the once quiet household. Ryu shrieked and clung to his older sister “Save me sis...I’m scared,” he trembled as tears welled up in his tired eyes. “Shh, it’ll be okay, your big sister will protect you from any harm.” She reassured him and he calmed down a bit. Downstairs was quiet…too quiet, where was the person who broke in? Why are they here? Mayu thought shakily as loud footsteps started to make their way up the stairs, ever so slowly. I have to protect Ryu!

Mayu grabbed Ryu up into her arms and ran to the room at the far end of the hall, careful not to make any noise. “Sis…” he said quietly. “Shh, Ryu, it’s okay. I won’t let that person hurt you.” What do I do?! Hiding her nervousness and fright, Mayu fought her fear to stay strong for Ryu. “I…I have to pee.” “At a time like this?” A bit irritated, she opens a window quietly, “Do it out the window, okay? Try to be quiet.” They weren’t the only ones being quiet now. Either the one who broke in isn’t after them, or they have taken off their shoes to be quieter.

Keeping her head turned as Ryu finished, Mayu felt someone grab her shoulder. She shrieked in terror before realizing it was her little brother. Running, now the sound of running has drawn near. Someone is running toward this room. Ryu clung to his sister once more when a strange man entered the room, he wore all black and covered his face, all that could be seen were his eyes. “It seems that I have found my prey, come with me, if you please.” He said with nice mannerism that had an eerie feel to it as he walked so slowly near the frightened children. “Stay away. You don’t know what you’re doing mister.” Mayu stated loudly. “Oh, I don’t? One who is cornered like a mouse has no right to say that. I know what I am doing. My intentions are clear to me, but hazed to you. Do you care to find out?” A malicious smirk broke out across his face.

“You’ll be sorry! I’ll call the cops!” Her voice shaken. “You will, will you? How do you suppose you will be able to do that, cornered in this room, and while I have taken the liberty of cutting the phone wires?” He took a step closer to the children. “Stop! I won’t let you come any nearer!” Mayu yelled as she grabbed a book from the shelf and threw it at him. “You like to play, don’t you? Then let’s play, girlie.” He lunged at her and forcefully pinned her down on the floor, then had swiftly taken her shirt off with one hand. “Have you ever experienced this before? I’ve been watching you, every day after school and every time you walked to the store. You were a prey hard to get alone though, your friends were always with you.”

“N-no…” Mayu started to cry. Just then, Ryu stepped in “Leave my sis alone! She doesn’t like that!” He brought a foot to the attackers face and slammed a lamp into his head. “Come on!” he said hurriedly as they both ran from the room and down the stairs. He saved me…I didn’t think he would be the one to save me, my little brother. “Thank you, Ryu…” she whimpered. Everything turned black. Mayu held Ryu close and prayed nothing would come at them.

The door creaked open slowly...and there were their parents! “Mom, dad!” They ran to their mother and father’s arms, “What took you so long?” they both said in frightened voices. “We weren’t gone that long,” the father said. “That’s right, sweetie. We told you we would be right back. Why are the lights off?” The mother flipped the lights back on and shut the door. If the attacker was upstairs, who turned the lights off down here? . . .

Who, I wonder o.o

Last edited by Kaname Shikara; 06-20-2011 at 03:51 AM.

Amazing set by Ezza Obsuna ^^

The days fly by and the feelings remain
So far away and causing us pain
That's okay we'll make it through
Soon we'll get to say "I love you"♥

Re: Short Story

Okay, here I go. I have no way of knowing how many words this is, so I'll just wing it. This is my first story in a long time, so lets see how it does.

The door creaked open slowly causing Hyphen to look up from his place near the window. He wasn't surprised at all to find his older twin Tilde walking in, a look of utter exhaustion on his face. As his brother made his way over to the rather small bed, Hyphen stretched his arms and stood up, letting a shudder of relief pass over him.

"Any luck?" Hyphen said, walking over to Tilde.

"Of course not" he replied in a tired voice. Rolling over and sitting up, he turned to face his counterpart and asked with a serious expression, "how long do you suppose we'll have to stay here?"

Hyphen tossed a small loaf of bread at Tilde, but didn't answer. He honestly had no clue, but he wasn't about to voice it out loud. The truth was, they had both been staying at alternate inns for the last month or so, waiting on Caret to return with some information relating to their grandfather's location. As he hadn't shown himself yet, and his last instructions were to "stay put", they had no choice. A few weeks later, they were ready to leave. The whole town was looking for the last pair of twins now, and they figured it would only be a matter of time before someone found out where they were.

As Tilde tore his way through the bread, Hyphen made his way back over to the window he had been staring out of so intently before his brother had come back. He was about to give in and return to bed when a flicker of movement caught his eye. Somewhere near the forest, there was something small and dark scurrying towards the town. As it made it's way closer, his heart jumped as he realized the familiar form of Caret making it's way towards their room.

Turning to tell Tilde the great news, he almost got the words out when a loud crash caused the bedroom door to burst open. They both looked up and instinctively grabbed their swords from the bedside silently. As the door came to a rest, they found themselves face to face with three rather large men who looked like they could have easily knocked over several trees for breakfast. Since they all had a fairly large price on their heads for just existing, they were both absolutely sure they didn't want to discuss sports and grab a bite to eat. Gant was a fairly poor town as well, so money was money, and no one cared what they had to do to get it.

They much have followed me back here, sorry. Tilde thought telepathically to his twin.

it's fine, I was getting bored anyway. he replied, excited for a change in pace from the quiet constant waiting.

Without warning, all three men charged at the two brothers with a battle cry loud enough to scare a lion. Tilde, being the better fighter, easily took on and dodged two of the men's attacks. If the room had been larger, he might have been able to win without breaking a sweat, but five people in one room didn't leave much room for maneuvering. Hyphen on the other hand wasn't much of a fighter. He blocked and parried fine, but could never find the right time to strike back and end the fight. The battle went on for about ten minutes or so, until Hyphen realized that this wasn't going to work out well for them. Tilde had already been hit in the face rather badly by one of the men's hilts and was tiring out faster than normal. Hyphen was uninjured, but still tired all the same. As the battle progressed, he made his way over to his brother finally reaching him back to back.

I hope you have a plan, Hyphen. he said. I don't feel like dying here, especially not before I've gotten to beat the life out of Caret for leaving us here.

We've got to jump. We can't win in such a small room, against people three times as big and experienced as us.

They both ducked as one of the men swung his sword, nearly taking off both of their heads at the same time. Without hesitating, Hyphen yelled "NOW!" and they both dived out of the window behind them, into the shiny black mass of lake below them....

Re: Short Story

Basil straightened his posture on the couch, his anxiety rising. Much to his relief, he saw Elizabeth’s lovely face finally breach the space.

“Oh Eliza, I thought it was him.” Basil said in more of an exhalation than an actual remark.

Eliza gave a sympathetic smile, closed the door behind her, and walked slowly over to the couch, her long yellow dress making it appear as if she were gliding instead of stepping. “No, Basil; not yet. But he said he’s on his way.” Basil’s eyes rested briefly on a copy of Don Quixote and a book on Richard the Lionhearted on the coffee table.

Basil gulped and brushed his right hand through his short brown hair. Elizabeth quickly smoothed his hair back into place. “No, no…keep it neat, remember? Father adores neatness in a man, Basil.”

“Yes,” Basil responded agitatedly, “Along with thrift, frugality, wealth, intelligence, high birth, and savoir-faire—basically, I have to be impeccably flawless.”

Elizabeth frowned but kept her hand on his head. “He only wants the best for me.”

No longer so much agitated as genuinely terrified, Basil looked intently at her and said, “And what if I don’t play into what’s ‘best’ for you, Eliza? What if this is the end of us?”

“Basil, don’t…” Elizabeth began, but stopped short to pull him into an embrace—just as the door opened once again.

“Ahem,” came a deep, rough voice from the doorway. Both Basil and Elizabeth tore away from each other with a guilty amount of haste. “Father,” Elizabeth said, but seemed to have nothing more to add. “Yes, um, Mr. Sinclair,” Basil said as if taking up the responsibility to finish Elizabeth’s incomplete sentence, “thank you for taking the time to see me today.”

The tall, dark-haired Mr. Sinclair blinked twice before saying, “Yes, well—Eliza, darling, I do believe that Basil asked to see me alone, did he not?” Eliza stood up from the couch and nodded. “Yes, Father.” With one brief look back at Basil accompanied by a quick smile, the beautiful, petite Elizabeth walked out of the same door that her stern-faced, robust father had entered.

Taking a seat on the couch, Mr. Sinclair took out his pocket-watch and gave it a quick look. “Well, Basil, you have my full, undivided attention.”

That’s the last thing I want right now, Basil thought to himself.

“Yes,” Basil said as his voice cracked. Clearing his throat, Basil continued. “Yes, Mr. Sinclair. Again, thanks for your time. Now, as you know, I’ve been seeing your daughter for quite some time now, and I—”

Oh no…does he know what I’m doing? Of course he does! Does he think fourteen months is not enough time? God help me…

“Um…yes. Yes, sir,” Basil answered. Mr. Sinclair remained tacit and thus Basil resumed. “So, I mean…well, I’m approaching the end of my studies and I wanted to express my full intention to humbly ask—”

“Yes,” came the short reply from Mr. Sinclair. “And what does one do with such a discipline?”

“Well,” Basil responded shakily, “there is really only one job in the field. One must become a professor and teach.”

“And is that feasible?”

“Oh, absolutely. Such professors are in short supply.”

“I would imagine so.”

Was that an insult? Did he just make light of my entire academic career? No, calm down. So he’s an investment broker. Doesn’t mean he thinks your future profession is simply rubbish. Oh, who am I kidding? He thinks of me as nothing more than an investment, and a poor one at that…

“Basil,” Mr. Sinclair said in a much different tone of voice, one that almost seemed kind. “Are you worried?”

Yes, yes, a million times yes!

“No, sir.”

“Are you troubled, then? Is something worrying you?”

I’m troubled as deeply as one may be.

“No, sir.”

After giving Basil and incredulous look Mr. Sinclair said, “So, what is it again that you wanted to see me about?”

Now or never, Basil. I’ve messed everything else up, so might as well charge forward with all I’ve got.

“Sir, I’ve fallen madly in love with your daughter and would like nothing more than to be her devoted husband. I’ve come to ask for Elizabeth Sinclair’s hand in marriage. Sir.”

Mr. Sinclair’s stern face did not move at all at first. Then, just as the sun breaches a thick cover of clouds, so too a smile broke out on Mr. Sinclair’s visage, a smile so large that it made Basil uncomfortable.

“Basil, my dear boy! Yes! Yes, you have my blessing!” After laughing a few times he embraced Basil just as Elizabeth had earlier, though with much more force.

Dear God, he’s cracked…the sour proposition has driven him mad!

Mr. Sinclair laughed again and suddenly let go of Basil, keeping his hands on Basil’s shoulders. “I’ll go get Eliza at once! And afterwards, we’ll discuss some of my favorite philosophers. I once considered that discipline as well, you know. Ah, to Eliza! My daughter, soon to be wed!” And with that he stood up quickly from the couch and briskly walked out the door.

The entire process had been as nerve-wracking as the initial conversation with Elizabeth had been for Basil when he had first met her, and now it was suddenly over. Vowing that he would certainly be in church come Sunday, he was soon once again joined by Elizabeth and her beaming father.

“Oh, Basil, you did a stellar job!” Elizabeth said while grasping his hand in both of hers. “Was it difficult?”

Attempting to recover what he could of his bravado, he smiled and said, “Like charging a windmill.”

Re: Short Story

The door creaked open slowly and so.. i saw it. The creature with red-blood eyes. How could such a beautifull being be so maddly passionate by death? I though.My first look at an imaginary world turned to be true. How can i ever stop this realistic dream before I... die?__________*****___________

Jully 1st, 1997

Dear Yutsoya,I wish you were here. With me. Everyting is so beautifull. Just as i imagined it. Almost.I still fell the grass like before, i still fell the sun burning on my back while i walk on the uneding fields that i created. Obviously, you won't ever see this world of mine, as you'll never read this letter. Because while creating this dimension i made a grave mistake, i forgot the key to open the locked door on our old land. I fell your tears everyday caused by my terrible mistake. And so... i must apologize. I'm sorry.I hope there will come a day, where i can hold you in my arms again.

Su.

_________*****___________

When i finally finished that letter I walked out for a new day. I felt the fresh morning breeze lifting the bottom of my baby-blue dress. I looked over my shoulder, and saw the same as always. A little country house, old-fashioned and a bit dirty and a green vast field behind that piece of wood underneath the blue sky with no clouds.Yes. For many people this would be perfec. As it once was for me. But when you are alone.. even the most beautifull thing can become garbage. It is so easy for you to fell incomplete... but i didn't know that back then.

*begins flashback*

'Su-chan! I'm back!' a familiar voice screamed from the floor above me.'Welcome back mum. I'm on the cave!''Ok honey. I'll call you as soon as the dinner is ready''Hai~hai~'

Lately i was verry busy. Too busy to even think of eating, because my master piece was almost completed. Almost. I though with a sigh.
It took me two years to say that word.I am Hoshino Suzuka (but my cosest friends and family call me Su) and i am a scientist. Hah. Yeah~i wish. But no. Not yet. Still, i work allot on experiences to open a door to a parellel world.. or even a world of my own making. I first felt in love with these stuff when i was 8. A good age to start science i must say. And so it all begun when i heard "Magic is the science that we still don't understand". I agree. And i think that we should never give up on what we are aiming to see comimng true, that is what i am doing. This junk before your eyes in my Travle Machine(the theird). This? This will take me to wherever i want to go. Sarting with imaginary worlds, to impossible ways of living. And this time will work.It is almost done you know? Yeah. It will only take fo...

'Su! Dinner. Now!' my mum called. wow time runs fast.'Just a minute'

I washed my dirty hands and went up stairs. When i got to the kitchen i saw my dad, Kaname -who greeted me-reading his journal, my onee-chan, Misaki, and onii-chan, Saito and my mum, Sakura. All of them were around the table waiting for me to start dinner. With my family things are pretty simple at meals, we talk about how the day go, plans for the weakend, etc. etc. . So it is the same routine everyday. We all get allong and are very close and i love them. When i finished my food i went back to my creation. it would only take about four minutes to finish... I only needed a trusted friend that could tuch the right buttuns while i would think of a place to go. So i called ...

*at the phone*

'mochi-mochi' A deep male voice said'Yo Yutsoya-kun' i greeted 'Su-chan... you're over with it?' he asked alredy guessing the reason of my call'Yeah that's why i want you to come NOW!' i said that last word with a strong voice and i could felt Yutsoya nood'Ok. I'm on my way.''Hurry.' i sad just in time before he hung up.

I waited half an hour and then...

'wow' his face was just as suprised as his voice tone 'How...?When...?You...''Yup. All by myself.''Wow.' yeah~ he isn't really good with words *sighs* 'I guess my wait was worthed.'I nooded in reply and saw him getting closer to the machine.'So ... what now?' he said after some minutes.'well... i want you to do this.' I gave him instructions and when i was over he noded and i got closer to the huge arc that i named "Door" . He walked near to the control room.When he waved saying that he was set, I took a deep breath crossing fingers for that this time it would work, and closed my eyes.I imaginated my most "wished place to be" and i didn't care about anything or anyone around me.If the door opens i may not come back. I may like it so much that i wont even care anymore about anything...no wait...did i missed something from the constrution of the machine? My thoughs were interrupted by a pleasand sound in reply of "Yutsoya's buttun to tuch" and so, when i opened my eyes i was surounded by colerfull wires. Thousands of colerfull wires. I was amaised and so.. i tuched one of those weird wires. But when i did that everything stoped. Only i could move.And when i looked again... only I was in the cave. No. Wait. It wasn't the cave. It was an unknown spoy of my head. I was getting dazed when i saw something. It was the place that i created in my mind. Everyting around me started to get shape when i realised that. And so I knew I was correct.My machine worked. I wasn't on Earth anymore.

*ends flashback*

I was stupid and it took me 3 days to realise what i had missed from the constrution. The key to return home.This world of mine isn't as perfect as i wanted it to be. I missed details. And one of those details were old fragments of my mind that won shape when i stupidly forgot that when i was to built this place, i wasn't to think of anything else but that. And so, together with my most wanted wishes i got my most feared nightmares to get into this world. And now it is my will to finish all this. And return to where i belong.
But how?

hahaha XD this is my record. I made this within an hour Yey! ^-^what do you think of it, if i may ask :3

Re: Short Story

This is my example. For some reason 2 spoiler tags kept coming up when I added them after the first paragraph. If this happens to anyone else, just extend it.

The door creaked open slowly, natural light penetrating the small room for the first time in weeks. In the center of the room lay a half-naked man chained by his arms and legs to a wooden operating table. With eyes closed, he lay motionless, a series of microtubes emerging from the ceiling, dripping differently coloured solutions into his veins. As the solutions darkened in the presence of the light, Dr. Neto took notes from behind the protective glass.
After a full minute of photon exposure, Dr. Neto pushed a button on her console. The door creaked closed just as slowly as it had opened and a dull green light bathed the room. Starting the recorder on her lapel, she began, “Subject number 383-kappa; male, 25 years of age; Cyanoselenoacyl treatment, 14 weeks; advancement stage 6; photolytic cycle 4. Subject appears to have shown no change from resting state, proceeding with administration of theta-DTPS.”

Dr. Neto keyed a code into her console, and a hatch opened in the ceiling of the testing room. A robotic arm holding a long, thin needle, descended about an inch into the room. Pausing briefly, the arm shot towards the man piercing his forehead with the needle, before retracting back through the hatch.
No sooner had the arm retreated than the man’s eyelids had snapped open. Bloodshot eyes darted from side to side wildly as his skin dried and cracked, spilling fresh blood onto the table. With an almighty roar, he fought desperately to break free of his constraints, thrashing his muscular body wildly against the table. The microtubes ripped out of his flesh, as he hopelessly waged war against his restraints, fluorescent solution leaking all over the floor.
A second hatch opened, releasing what appeared to be a silver viscous tennis ball, into the room. After falling a short distance, the ball hovered, stretching into a thin wide disc until it burst. Thousands of tiny silver droplets rained down onto the man, turning gold as they came in contact with his now exposed, skinless flesh. A plume of red mist filled the air as his skin began to rapidly reform, weaving a new protective lattice right before the doctor’s eyes. The man let out a series of low moans, his body convulsing weakly before slackening against the table, relief sweeping over him.
“Administration of theta-DTPS completed, subject viable,” Dr. Neto announced, before turning off the recorder. She entered her observations into her notebook, making sure it was safely put away in the fireproof cabinet and exited the observation room.

*** *** *** ***

Night had descended on the research facility. Getting up from his bed, 383-kappa walked towards the window and peered out at the night’s full moon. He was using his own legs, his own eyes and yet, they felt so very foreign to him. No matter how he tried, he couldn’t rid himself of the thought that this body was not his own. Putting his palms on the enforced glass, he leaned his head forward, gazing into the night as the first drops of rain began to fall. His nose twitched. Turning his head in his confusion, he let his forehead rest on the window pane and closed his eyes.
He had been in this facility for a little over 2 months now and knew very well that it was impossible to hear anything outside let alone smell it. So then why, did he think he could possibly smell the rain now? It wasn’t until he trailed his fingers down the window that he finally felt it.
It was the tiniest of pin holes but nevertheless an opening all the same. Putting his nose right up to the glass he closed his eyes and inhaled deeply, savouring the scent. As he concentrated on nothing but the smell of falling rain, he began to feel cold… and wet. Opening his eyes, he incredulously found himself outside in the rain.
Dumbfounded, he looked up towards the heavens, rain splattering his face. Without a second thought as to how he found himself outdoors, he made a run for it. He was outside for the first time in months and he wasn’t going to let this chance at escape elude him.
Dr. Neto leaned forward, staring at the monitor with apprehension. This was the moment she had been waiting for, the final test which would end 15 years of research. Without tearing her eyes away from the screen, she started her stop watch. She watched with trepidation as 383-kappa ran towards a thicket of trees. Dr. Neto balked. Trees? There were notrees in any of the outdoor simulation rooms.

The rain had picked up momentum, striking and biting the man’s flesh like a torrent of angry insects. Eyes focused on the obstacles in front of him, 383-kappa ran through the trees dodging and weaving like a seasoned creature of the forest. Slowing down, he hid in the large hollow of a tree having picked up the scent of salt. With his heart thumping loudly in his ears he tried to catch his breath and think, ignoring the loud clap of thunder erupting from afar. He looked down at himself. The white cotton sleep shirt and the grey cotton pants he wore were drenched with rain and covered in mud.
Having made up his mind, he got to his feet determined to pursue the growing smell of salt. Assuming it was the ocean, he reasoned the possibility of boats which he could use to make his escape. The dense covering of trees had gradually thinned as he got closer to freedom. Bursting through the foliage he came skidding to a halt, finding himself at the mercy of a steep cliff. Sea spray buffeted his body which instantly burst into flames…

*** *** *** ***

The door creaked open slowly, natural light penetrating the small room for the first time in weeks. In the center of the room lay a half-naked man chained by his arms and legs to a wooden operating table. After a full minute of photon exposure, Dr. Neto pushed a button on her console. The door creaked closed just as slowly as it had opened and a dull green light bathed the room. Starting the recorder on her lapel, she began, “Subject number 383-kappa; male, 25 years of age; Cyanoselenoacyl treatment, 14 weeks; advancement stage 6; photolytic cycle 4. Subject appears to have shown no change from resting state, proceeding with administration of theta-DTPS…

Re: Short Story

So, never wrote a story before, let alone a short one, but I gave it a try.

***

The door creaked open slowly...but no one was there. My heart dropped down to the pit of my stomach, as the faint whisper of a womens voice rang in my ears.

"Hello there." The voice said softly, almost mute. I felt her fingers brush against the length of my back, so ghostly, as if the tips of her fingers were barely touching the fabric of my shirt. I turned my head to the side, to see if I could get a image of her, but no one was there.

"What do you want?" I voiced out, trying to bring more courage into the sound of my voice. But my facial expression gave it all away.

"You promised, how could you forget?" She spoke, raising her voice this time, louder than a whisper, but below a yell. It gave me shivers. This all felt to surreal. I thought to myself, this must be a joke, a nightmare, someones messing with my mind. Wake up, wake up! You can do it, just open your eyes. But all I managed was a "Forget what? I don't understand!" Panic started to build up. I felt her hand creep up my back to rest on my shoulder, her nails digging into my skin. I always thought you couldn't touch a ghost, or feel it. But I felt this pain, it felt so real.

"You don't remember?" A gasp came from her. I felt a force push me down to the ground, my knees hitting the wooden floor. Sparks started to ignite from the curtain that was draped over the window. My heart skipped a beat. "Please, don't do this! Tell me what I did wrong, tell me what I don't remember!"

Her chuckled echoed in the room, the flames drew bigger and brighter. Then I heard it again, that whisper of a voice. I closed my eyes, flashing memories in my mind of how things used to be for me, for me.. My eyes snapped opened as I realized. But my only thought was why haven't I realized it sooner.

"Wake up." The voice said.

I woke up, drenched in sweat. I sat my body up, resting my back against the headboard of the bed. "What a weird dream." I looked over to the other side of the bed. Remembering it just the way I left it. I extended my hand out to touch the pillow. It still had its crease in it from where a head used to lay. My body stiffened, and my emotions got the better of me. I sniffed through my nose as I felt the waterworks coming. "I'm sorry.." I said with a shakey voice.

I threw the covers off of me and stepped onto the floor, the oh so cold wooden floor, then went to extending my hands up towards the ceiling for a good stretch. When I felt my muscles loosen I made my way into the kitchen, grabbing a box of cereal, pouring some into a bowl with milk. I took a seat at the kitchen table, attempting to eat as much as I could, all of a sudden I felt a brush of cold hair against the back of my neck. My eyes grew wide.

"Did you remember?" A beautiful girl spoke as she appeared in the seat infront of me. My expression grew sad as I realize it was the former figure of my late wife who had passed away. When I knew it was here, everything came back to me, every unspoken word, every angelic touch.

"I remember." I reached my hand out too hers, tangling our fingers together as I held onto it tightly. Afraid to let go. We both got up from our seats at the same time, making our way to the front door. I reached out my hand that was not in use and opened the door. Everything was painted red. The screams of agony and pain can be heard clearly. She looked over at me, and I looked back.

"Ive been waiting for you, you promised we would go to hell together." Her grip around my hand tightened. And that's when I realized that my hands were stained of red.

Re: Short Story

The door creaked open slowly, the sound of the rain suddenly becoming amplified. From his seat in the corner of the main foyer, the venerable Monsieur Lefèvre stared in fearful anticipation toward the door. Only when he beheld the face of his daughter, Chantal Lefèvre, did he relax, closing his eyes and releasing a held breath.

“Chantal, ma Chantal chérie…” Monsieur Lefèvre finally managed to say. Immediately rising from his silver-encrusted chair, Monsieur Lefèvre strode over to his daughter and embraced her as if she had been gone for years. “And where is Marcel? Wasn’t he out with you?”

Marcel and Chantal Lefèvre had indeed gone out together earlier to see a play. Yet Paris during the December of 1793 was a turbulent place and Monsieur Lefèvre had always been adept at reading the writing on the wall. Maximilien Robespierre was in charge of the Committee of Public Safety, and myriad nobles in Paris had been arrested with no evidence amassed against them save the reality of their nobility. Monsieur Lefèvre had ample reason to worry over the welfare of his family, as the nobility of his name could be traced through more than one French century.

Chantal Lefèvre had a brilliant, lovely smile. Yet when the slightest tinge of melancholy arose in her spectrum of emotions, her smile could not conceal the presence of a troubled heart. It was this tragically beautiful smile, then, that Monsieur Lefèvre found on his daughter’s visage that led him to discern that his son’s absence was indeed a cause for concern.

“Where is he, Chantal? Where is Marcel?”

“Father, he…he was simply speaking to some friends after the play.” Chantal’s soft voice was more of a caress than a medium of communication. Yet despite her beautiful voice, Monsieur Lefèvre’s mouth opened in a rictus that betrayed his anxiety. Fortunately the door opened again and Marcel Lefèvre entered only to be quickly enwrapped by his father’s strong arms.

The 22-year-old Marcel Lefèvre was a rotund, prideful man, and he quickly freed himself of his father’s embrace with a considerable amount of awkwardness. “Yes, Father, well…you worry too much. No need to mollycoddle us, you know.”

“Mollycoddle?” Monsieur Lefèvre responded. “Marcel, mon fils, they killed the king! What more do you need to see before you understand their bloody intentions?!”

For quite some time Monsieur Lefèvre had suspected his only son, Marcel, of sympathizing with the sans-culottes, a group largely comprised of ruffians that eschewed all forms of reason while ironically proclaiming that Reason was the new God (or “goddess,” to be exact).

Taking off his wet hat, Marcel rudely and brusquely walked past his father and into the main room, leaving Chantal and her father in the foyer. “Chantal, would you excuse the two of us?” Monsieur Lefèvre asked gently, lacing his question with a kind smile. Chantal tried to return his smile, but the uneasy feeling she had over the argument she was certain was coming between her father and her brother diluted her smile. Walking up the nearby spiral staircase, she glanced back at the two men before disappearing upstairs. Her father walked into the main room and sat across from his son in a small wooden chair with jet, amber, and jade embedded in the arms.

“Marcel. Mon fils. Look at me when I’m speaking to you.” Monsieur Lefèvre was speaking with authority now, his nervousness over the welfare of his only children now replaced by concern over his son’s mental and ideological hygiene. Marcel acquiesced, but the embarrassment he felt at being commanded by his father was evident.

“Tell me, Marcel. Have you been speaking with members of the sans-culottes or the Committee of Public Safety? Don’t fear me; simply answer me.”

Diverting his gaze and looking down at the floor, his son remained silent.

“I told you to look at me. Now,” his father reiterated, speaking in a dilatory fashion.

“Yes…I have spoken with them,” his son said with a guilty tone, barely speaking above a whisper. His father, pleased with his honestly, was nevertheless dismayed by the truth, and he closed his eyes to carefully deliberate his next words. Before he had a chance to speak, however, his son spoke up with renewed vigor.

“They’re not the bloodthirsty thugs you say they are, Father! What they say makes sense! It is based on reason, on—”

“And where, pray tell, is the reason in rounding up virtuous men, women and children—children, Marcel!—and sending them to prison and sometimes to the Guillotine all because of their pedigrees?! Or do your friends call it the ‘National Razor?’” Monsieur Lefèvre did not realize it, but he was now standing over his son. Usually the first to speak civilly in a disagreement, the respected Monsieur Lefèvre believed that things had gotten so bad in Paris precisely because of the reserved silence of men of true reason.

Marcel shrank from his father’s imposing stance.

“Marcel, we’ve spoken of this,” Monsieur Lefèvre said, his voice lowering along with his temper. “Of course there are abuses in the system. Yet one cannot help but cry foul when the so-called ‘remedy’ to these abuses involves offenses more egregious than those of the past!”

“Father, enough!” Marcel shouted, finally showing the same resolve he boasted of possessing in front of the sans-culottes. “It’s time for a change, and if it’s a drastic change, so be it! It’s simply—”

The sound of rain was once again amplified, and Monsieur Lefèvre and his son both turned to look at the door which was fully opened. Several men stood in the threshold and soon entered without greetings or invitations. One by one, members of the Committee of Public Safety walked towards the respectable Monsieur Lefèvre and his son, and the future that awaited them was amazingly void of the reason the callow Marcel had spoken of earlier.

Tessa's adventure.

By the nine divines... Most of these posters didn't even take their time to read the OP's post. xD
Okay, I'm going to give this a shot. This is actually much more of a challenge for me, since English isn't my first language.
I'm going to try my best! @OminousCloud

The door creaked open slowly as Daniel snuck into Tessa’s room. There she was, lying on her bed, reading a magazine with her headphones on. She didn’t even notice him coming in. He grinned, and snuck behind her bed, then jumped at her and hugged her tigtly as she squeeked in surprise. They laughed. “How are you Tessa?” Daniel asked her joyfully. “I’m fine, I’m fine! Geez don’t startle me like that!” said Tessa as she hopped on Daniel’s lap. It was her birthday, she just turned 13 and her cousin Daniel visited her to congratulate her. He lived 3 towns away, and Tessa didn’t see him much. Yet he was still her favorite cousin, as they always did exciting stuff together…

Like this one time, when he took her for a ride on his motorbike. They were gonna camp in a small forest in France. They took enough food and supplies with them for 2 weeks, although they planned on staying for just one week. They were going to hire a boat, and go fishing for a week. That was the plan, but it turned out to be a lot more of adventure than they bargained for…

Tessa held his jacket tightly as they crossed over the highway. Daniel had just gotten his drivers license and was enjoying it to the fullest, driving all the way to France with his little cousin. Tessa was a bit afraid of the bike, she was constantly thinking about how she should react when she fell off, but that would almost be impossible, since she clinged to Daniel with all her might. He didn’t mind, he thoought it was kind of cute and funny, so he decided to tease her a little bit more by unbalancing his bike by shaking the steer a little. Tessa squeeled and yelled at him, he laughed.

When they arrived at their campsite they quickly set up their tent and made themselves comfortable. It seemed like they weren’t the only ones who planned a vacation near the lake. A dozen of other tents were at the campsite, and every now and then someone left, or new people came by. They quickly ate some sandwiches Tessa’s mom had prepared for them, and they went off to the boat rental services.

“Excuse me sir, can we rent a small fishing boat?” Daniel asked politely. “Ah, sorry lad, I’m fresh out of small fishin’ boats. If ye want to go fishin’ ye should go to the old bridge, a few miles away from ‘ere. Them fishies like to bite there too, hehe.” The man grinned. Tessa, disappointed as she was squatted on the ground and pouted. “Geez, I really wanted to go fishing too!” Daniel smiled at her and picked her up. “Come on,” he said, “Let’s go to that old bridge. Who knows, it could be fun?” Tessa sighed, “Ooookaaay.” They rented 2 fishing rods and bought some bait, and walked along the river, looking for the old bridge. They walked for hours without seeing any bridge. “Oh man! That fat boat rental man lied to us!” Tessa yelled angrily. “Hey, no need to draw conclusions yet, we haven’t even walked for 2 miles. He said it should be ‘a few miles ahead’.” Daniel said, trying to calm her down. “But I’m tired of walking!” Tessa whined, “Let’s just go back okay…?” Daniel became annoyed and snarled at her, “No, we’re not going back. It’s probably just ahead.” .

They walked for a half an hour before they finally saw something that looked like a bridge not far from them. “Look, look, over there!” Tessa shouted happily, “Is that it, the bridge?”. She ran ahead of Daniel leaving him behind, shouting at her to wait. Tessa ran towards the bridge and inspected it thoroughly. It was an old wire bridge, and it didn’t look very sturdy. “Ehhmm…” she said to Daniel, whom just arrived panting and grumbling, “It doesn’t look like it’s going to hold the both of us standing on it…” “Ah hell no, we walked all afternoon to get here, so we’re going to fish.” Daniel murred. “Fine, fine…” Tessa whimpered nervously.

They stepped on the bridge as they heard it creak. Tessa became a bit scared and wanted to step back. “Don’t worry,” Daniel said, trying to comfort her, “These bridges are usually very strong. It won’t break, it’ll just creak a little, don’t be scared.” “If… If you say so…” she said softly. They stepped on every plank, hoping the bridge would hold it, and walked to the middle. “See, was that so hard?” Daniel laughed. “I guess not…” Tessa sighed relieved. They grabbed their rods and started fishing. After half an hour they still didn’t catch anything. “Geez this is so boring!” Tessa sighd, slightly disappointed, “I wish we could have just rented a boat, then we could at least sail a bit around and explore the enviorement…” Daniel shushed her and said she was chasing the fish away.

Five minutes later Tessa got something pulling her line. “I think I’ve got one!” Tessa yelled enthousiasticly. The bridge creaked as she tried to pull in her line. “Be careful Tessa!” Daniel said, worried about the bridge. “No need to worry!” Tessa said cheekily, “The bridge is much stronger than it looks like!” Daniel wanted to say something back but before he could, Tessa was dragged off the bridge into the river. “TESSA!” Daniel screamed, “Hold on!” Tessa was dragged along by the heavy current of the river and was heading towards a waterfall. Daniel ran along the river and searched for something for Tessa to hold on to. Tessa could barely breathe and let out an occasional squeek and a “Help!”. Daniel found a rope and threw it at her, holding his side tightly. Tessa managed to grab the other side, and Daniel pulled her to the shore. “Are you okay, Tessa?” Daniel asked worried. “Yeah I’m fine…” Tessa said softly, “Thank you.”.

Daniel carried her to the campsite and had her checked at first aid. She was okay aside from a few bruises and scratches. Tessa looked at Daniel and smiled. “Let’s go home.” Daniel said. “Okay, but before we go, I have to tell you something!” Tessa said joyfully. “What is it?” Daniel wondered. “Last night… I dreamed of a kinky pony. (@Tattster )” They both laughed and went home happily.
Fin.

Re: Short Story

The door creaked open slowly... Almost too slowly it seemed. I didn't want to see what was on the other side, or did I? Honestly I had no idea what I wanted back then. Why had I ventured into that half deteriorated rubble of a house for anyways? Was it curiosity or perhaps just the feeling to return home? However that was no longer a home. At least that's what I told myself before I turned down the driveway. But I couldn't have been more wrong.

There it was, looming up ahead in the middle of wide fields on each side. It wasn't the biggest house in the world but it was probably one of the biggest in the town at the time it was built. It was white with blue painted window panels and doors like elegant china plates. Now staring at it from my car I could see the paint was badly chipping and the blue that boldly popped out at you many years ago was so washed out as if it had given up. I parked on the west side of the house and got out to continue to notice the details I had forgotten existed. There were no rocking chairs on the front porch anymore. Where had they gone? I was here when everyone was taking everything but why didn't I remember who took what? At the far east end of the porch there used to be a white porch swing. Even then it had chipping paint, now there was nothing but a few chains dangling from the roof where it had been. I walked back to my car passing a certain window that I did not even glance into. Standing by my car I remembered someone taking my key ring and throwing a key over a fence and into the woods many years ago. My precious key was still there probably hidden under the mesh of decomposing leaves from over the years. Then there was a secrete that only I knew or paid attention to, the locking mechanism to the master bath window had been broken. After remembering that I wanted in and I wanted in bad.

I followed the edge of the porch to the east side of the house I looked for the lone tiny window about halfway down the length of the house. I never really thought about it until now but I guess the reason there were not any bedroom windows on this side of the house was because the way the sun rose? It probably would've flooded the room with it's blinding rays as it had sometimes done with the foyer if the angle was right. I climbed up the old A/C unit to try to reach the window. I pressed it upwards and it wouldn't bulge. Had someone replaced it? No it was the same window. I tried harder to get it to slowly move upwards. Stale air hit me in a blast even for standing for a while it wasn't horrid so I climbed my way through. Staring me directly in the face ahead was a wall to wall mirror. The tile below me was probably cracked to pieces but I took no notice. I approached the sink for a closer view in the mirror and that's when I could have sworn I saw something beside me in an instant. The door to my right opened slightly probably from the air escaping from the window sucking it inwards. I opened it the rest of the way and took a glance around the master bed. Nothing was here what was I expecting? I turned to my left and saw the door to the living room was already open.

On the other side of the living room I could see through the arch that once signaled the kitchen. That's when I saw it again. It was a small blur that from the kitchen archway to the southeast corner of the living room towards two bedrooms. The blur moved in almost a skipping motion. The old elegant red couch was still in place in the middle of the living room facing the fireplace that was fixed on the north wall though it was obvious it had seen better days. I turned to my left to head in the direction I saw the blur go. Here I was in a small square hallway. In front of me was the guest bath and to the side of that was the guest bedroom. I recalled it had a window that was right behind the porch swing. Between that room and a room that faced right across it was a linen closet that no longer had a door or shelves. I stood in front of the door across the guest bedroom. I turned the handle and the door creaked open slowly... Almost too slowly it seemed. I didn't want to see what was on the other side, or did I? The door finally opened all the way to a vacant hall. No one was there and no one was ever there. There was no car outside and the master bath window had been closed and untouched for years. However a mile down the road there certainly was a a key lost in the woods.

Re: Short Story

The door creaked open slowly … I could’ve sworn he was here again. I’ve tried closing the blinds in my windows and triple-checked locking my doors but it’s no use anymore. I ran into my bedroom and blocked the door behind me. I fell back on my bed, panting heavily. When would he get here? It was just a matter of time. I rolled back and forth almost obsessively. I couldn’t relax – not for anything.

This pest just never left me alone. First he was in my kitchen. I was making dinner for my husband as he was in a business meeting; it was no secret that his boss had it out for him. But, the entire time there I just felt paranoid. There was some rustling behind me. When I went back to check, there was nothing. I spent fifteen minutes looking around the garbage can, as I knew something was coming from there, before I could find part of a footprint left behind.

It didn’t stop there either. All night I felt like I was being watched. I knew someone was there, but the entire time I felt like I was going crazy. There were no moving shadows. No flash of cameras. Nothing. So, that’s the story. Just another helpless woman victim of a stalker without a hope in the world of the pervert being brought to justice or the common sense to call the police even with such lack of evidence.

Not quite.

The lights flashed on the top of the police cars, alerting the neighborhood to the tragedy that occurred here tonight. The man of the house was still away, not coming back for another few days. Inside, numerous officers were investigating the scene, the scent of charcoaled flesh filling the nostrils of everyone in the room. The captain comforted the sobbing woman and she steadied her shaking body on the couch cushions. She took a moment to blow her nose before crying, “I-I don’t how it happened! I just left it on and I had no idea - - “

Another man whispered in the captain’s ear, him nodding in agreement. He patted her on the shoulder, and then left coldly without another word. There was no use investigating any farther. This was an accident, plain and simple. The woman wiped mascara from her cheeks, watching the officers leave one by one. No one cared, she reasoned. She was just another case to them. An hour later, everyone was gone. She got up, brushing her now wrinkled skirt and … a smile spread across her face.

She glided over to the fireplace, a certain air in her step. With a metal rod for the wood in hand, she poked the legs which were barely covered by the burned cloth. Her grin grew wider as her actions grew more violent. She chuckled as she lashed the pole across the corpse’s body, creating gashed across the twisted skin and bone. There was another twenty minutes or so before the coroners arrived. That left so many possibilities. The chuckle grew into a chilling laugh as the brittle limbs are pulled apart by the fear a woman had to endure melting away.

No. No, that’s not true. The fear was never there. This was just too much fun to pass up. What’s more - - when her husband gets home, the fun can start all over again.

Edit: I have no clue why that took two spoilers....extending didn't seem to help.